Bryant broke Jordan's record of 262 points on a dunk with 4:57 left in the third quarter. That gave him 20 points for the game.

Owner of a record-tying four All-Star MVP awards, Bryant began the night with 244 points in the 12 games he had played in. He passed Oscar Robertson (246 points) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (251) earlier in Sunday night's game.

Bryant tied the record on two free throws in the third quarter, taking a break between them to wipe blood from his nose after a hard foul from Miami's Dwyane Wade.